Applying Standards In Your Business

Standards, Levels, and Results to Improve Your Business

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It’s not the standard per se, it’s the results of the standard that will be evident.

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A standard is a predetermined quality value that dictates an expected result as applied to any product, service, conduct, or effort.

Standards are invisible like air, yet in each of its various forms its influence is visible, discernible, and either pleasing in its higher level or disappointing in its lower level.

Fable: An American equipment manufacturer needed a screw replicated, so they sent ten samples of it to a precision screw company in Germany for a quote. When the German engineers completed their initial examination, they asked, “Which of the ten screws is being replicated? The Americans were using a lesser standard, the Germans were using a higher standard.

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Standards are everywhere, intentionally or organically set, with differing results. In business, it is necessary for the owner to establish the standard he or she wants to achieve, not only with product creation, but in all relevant aspects. In the absence of direction, others will do that work for you with results that will likely disappoint.

What level do you want to achieve? First, does it matter to you? Have you thought about it? Whatever it is, at whatever level, are you willing to invest in what it will require to achieve it?

A standard is established to achieve a determined result. Results vary. Let’s compare a Mercedes and a Yugo as a case study to explain further.

“A Yu…, huh?”